8. “It can’t be for nothing.”
When Ellie and Joel finally reach Salt Lake City, they’re greeted by a beautiful view of a herd of giraffes. This takes place really late in the game and Joel realizes that he cares about Ellie a lot more than he does for some silly cure that might save mankind. When he tells her that they could just leave, Ellie looks at him and says: “After all we’ve been through, everything that I’ve done… It can’t be for nothing.”
That one line just proves what a strong character Ellie is. She doesn’t believe in doing things halfway and this scene shows how driven she is towards her goal. As Joel would say later in the game, “It was her. She fought like hell to get here.” To me, this scene is memorable because this is the point that best exemplifies the notion that Ellie is the true hero of the game, and that her strength of character is greater than Joel himself.
